Colorado springs man and member of "North American Man-Boy love association" sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 20, 2014

DENVER – U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello recently sentenced Clifton Brett Bennett, age 56, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve 57 months in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Colorado Springs Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) announced. Once released the defendant will also have to register as a sex offender. Further, Bennett, who appeared at the hearing in custody, was remanded after the sentence was pronounced.

Bennett was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on September 25, 2013. He pled guilty before Judge Arguello on May 1, 2014. He was sentenced on August 18, 2014.

According to court records, between November 1, 2008 and April 15, 2011 Bennett knowingly received material that contained child pornography. Further, on January 23, 2013, Bennett knowingly possessed child pornography. According to a state affidavit of probable cause, a United States Postal Inspector contacted an ICAC detective regarding a child pornography investigation. Postal Inspectors had identified an individual who lived in Colorado Springs who made over $4,000 in purchases for over 100 child pornography videos over a number of years. Follow up investigation determined the individual was Clifton Bennett.

A search warrant was executed at Bennett’s residence. During the execution of the warrant a detective conducted a forensic preview of the computer, and found images of prepubescent boys who were nude and posed in sexually explicit positions with their genitals exposed. They also found DVDs containing child pornography – many of which were delivered via U.S. Mail from New York. He also allegedly bought and downloaded child pornography as well. Investigators also determined that Bennett was a member of the “North American Man-Boy Love Association.” Following the execution of the search warrant Bennett was arrested and held in state custody. Once the federal indictment was returned the state dismissed their case in its entirety.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Colorado Springs Police Department -- Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC).

Bennett was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Spencer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about Internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."